It feels pretty disorganized when you first set out to do something less conventional than seeing patients for a large medical group. It’s all a mess, and you’re constantly experimenting to see what works for you.
Some physicians look at what I have built for myself, which comes across as polished. I assure you it is anything but.
The Instagram-ready business that can be listed on Forbes is a myth to me. I have no desire for something like that. I intend to build something that fits me at all stages of my life.
The Evolution of My Business
When I first set out to leave mainstream medicine, I had no idea what I wanted to do. But I knew what things gave me the creeps, and I was open to discovering things I could enjoy.
With this website, I decided to sell some courses because people were asking the same questions over and over in 2016.
Later, people wanted to talk to me, so I decided to charge money. It took 2 years before I figured out I could make my life easier by using Paypal Business and Calendly.
Now, I’m more interested in health coaching than telemedicine. It’s constantly evolving, and I want to stay flexible enough to make changes as my interests change.
The Myth of an Organized Business
There is nothing sexy about the 4 websites I’m running. I am building out one site as I’m taking down another. That’s the reality.
I have 4 emails to check and haven’t figured out how to integrate them together. So, for now, I check them all each and every day.
I know that in time I’ll figure out a better solution. What matters most is that I’m making money and incrementally taking steps towards improving whatever this business will evolve into in the future.
Building a Business that Evolves with Me
I love the brand “Digital Nomad Physicians,” but it doesn’t scratch all my scabies lesions. I knew I wanted something more clinical.
“Digital Nomad Health” was a step in the right direction but do I really want a panel of primary care patients? I don’t know. And because I don’t know, I continue to put some effort into DNH.
I enjoy learning about heart health. So the next evolution was to do virtual care without the risk of the patient-doctor relationship. So I started the “Heart Health Coach” brand.
There is Always Doubt
Some call the doubt the imposter syndrome. Whatever you label it, there is a notion that some ideal form of your business exists.
I would rather enjoy the process than constantly think I should be doing it differently.
When I feel any doubt, I start tinkering. When I feel overwhelmed, I pull up one of my sites and make one single adjustment. That leads to another adjustment, and I suddenly feel closer to having an ideal business.
The evolution of my business has many ups and many downs. The downs are what I learn from. The ups are the little wins. The overall trajectory seems to be in the right direction.
Imitating Success
I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. And I don’t think I have come up with anything too original as I’m building my business.
I intend to have the kind of business I enjoy working on. Something that generates a healthy revenue and is sustainable.
When in doubt, just find a competitor brand or site and imitate it. Every service or product you can think of already exists in another industry.
The myth of an organized business makes you want to create everything from scratch. Because anything but something original means you’re a fraud.
Function over Form When Building a Business
The ideal business should make you a healthy profit with a sustainable effort.
I should enjoy working on the business; profits are the most important metric to focus on.
Once the profits start flowing in, I can work on making the business more presentable. But it should always be function > form.
I view wealth the same way; I care more about what it does for me than how many zeros it has.